Honda Malaysia (HM) hosted a media gathering yesterday night, taking the opportunity to reflect on an encouraging 2012 and share its plans for 2013. Plenty of ambition and plenty in store for us, as you’ll read about.

Last year started slow for Honda, as the carmaker was among the hardest hit by the big flood that swamped Thailand in 2011. Production at Ayutthaya, which was suspended in October 2011, only came back online in March 2012. But Honda bounced back strongly in the second half of the year – of 2012’s total of 34,947 units sold, over 24,000 units were racked up from July to December.

In that period, HM commanded 7.7% share of the Malaysian market, and achieved an all-time monthly sales record of 5,045 units in July, closing the year strongly with close to 4,800 units in December, the company’s third highest monthly sales ever. Honda is also the leader in hybrid sales, and became the first company to locally assemble a hybrid car in Malaysia with the CKD Jazz Hybrid.

Looking forward, HM has set a sales target of 64,000 units and 10% market share for 2013. In the longer term, the company plans to sell 100,000 units annually here by 2017.

“2013 is a year where we strengthen our operations for the transition towards an even more competitive market. We are aggressively building a stronger brand image and maximising all our efforts to improve ourselves for future growth. Honda Malaysia is aligning our focus with Honda’s global strategy and strengthening our sales volume. We will be introducing exciting new models every quarter, including three upcoming CKD models,” said Yoichiro Ueno, MD and CEO of HM.

Which brings us to the exciting part – HM is planning to launch five new cars this year, including three locally-assembled models. The facelifted CR-Z Hybrid is one of the CBU cars, and we’re expecting two of the CKD models to be the new CR-V and new Accord. That’s three, so you can go ahead and fill in the blanks :)

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

A wira without vibration is called Lancer. my year 2004 wira 1.5GL, meter spoil (RPM full time at 6000), aircond spoil, plastic crack everywhere, power window spoiled, engine overhaul 2 times due to leaking oil, absorber changed 3 times, my mileage just clock 140k and I got all these problems. My City 2009 (my 2nd car), never give such problem. Clock at 75000 KM, only do normal servicing. No other complaint such as vibration when idling. But I do heard my friend complaint new City FL rubber over the door is very lausy, if u really compare to Pre-FL City, the pre-FL gets better quality rubber.

Gosh, thts too bad for the city fl owner. I googgled around and saw for aussie model they put good qulity rubber all around the needed area to enhance sound proofing. When it came to msia everyting need to ….

True, in terms of standard measurements the Toyota Prius has better FC than Honda Insight or Civic Hybrid. But mind you, the best FC of all time among hybrids IS the 1st-gen Insight, even though it uses the 1st-gen IMA parallel hybrid. Another thing, even Porsche and BMW are using parallel hybrid systems, so there’s nothing wrong with that. Therefore, complex hybrid does not always mean better than parallel hybrid.

yup, a modern diesel such as polo/golf bluemotion or the fiesta econetic can easily surpass the jazz/insight hybrid….even honda owned civic new 1.6 idtec diesel can do bttr than its own petrol hybrid while producing good 300nm of torque!

The new city usually comes a year after new Jazz is unveiled. The next generation jazz/fit is schedule to have its international unveilingd at the end of the year. So most likely next year we will see the new city.

I heard Japan has a very high restriction for their cars. If you have no parking space in your residence, you have to own a Kei-car. Also, although The cost of a car isn’t that high in Japan, but the car taxes are off the roof.

The N-One remains my favorite Kei-car(damn that thing is cute). But I find it impossible for it to reach malaysian shores, there is simply no market demand for a CBU Kei car.

I’ll follow LovesCars advice and go for a CRZ manual, because it has a manual gearbox(yes, I love them that much). A CNY chat reveals that an engine with too much torque can wear out the gasket fast, especially in a small displacement engine.

Most likely he is unlucky enough to receive a car that has the seawater hit it. The last time I asked my friend who buys AP cars, he said he avoids Naza World AP cars because they tend to have seawater in it. Or seawater rusted it.

After this was posted at the Honda civic wagon article, I went and ask several insight owners I know, they’ve heard the story, and checked those mention affected area, of their car, all fine. So if you’re going to hate Honda because of one affected car, than I don’t blame you. But at least 1 in 5 cars are always problematic in all major companies, even high end BMW and mercs have them.

I wouldn’t say its useless, it just attract a different crowd, not my type. The newly launch KIA K3 5-door is much better looking than whatever the Veloster is supposed to be. They say the Veloster has character, and so does Justin Bieber.

Come to think of it, yeah, I have’t seen one in the road yet with the exception of some in the showroom floor. Just saw my first Chevy sonic just now.

Do u know from your sources within HM, whether the all new 2.0L Accod hybrid will be launched here by end of this year ? Will this new Accord hybrid, if to be launched here this year, be considered one of the 2 new CBU models mentioned by HM’s CEO ?

even if Honda managed to do 48K (meaning 24K in each half of 2012), it is still only 50% of Toyota total.

the journey is still long way to go for Honda. Even though they managed to secure top spot for JD power after sales for 2 years in a row, Honda Malaysia need to realise UMW success did not come overnight but a process which took more than 15 years to achieve.

when you have all the above, good resale value will be an added bonus.

this is a formula that many car dealers missed including Skoda, Renault, peugoet (during Ibis Auto and MBf) and citroen (during USF and directional) and may happen to many more like Kia (sales now is nothing compare to 10 years back), Peugoet (now Naza also) and maybe Subaru (which hardly sells 10 units per month)

it is not about selling cars with 20 airbags or ESP (Malaysia doesnt have snow and ESP is never effective in bumper-to-bumper traffic where many accidents take place in KL, JB and Penang)

Though, I was a Honda fan previously, I ve since abandoned my liking for the brand.
I feel that Honda despite their ‘Power of Dreams’ have not been able to sort out their car suspension system. Further, the wind and road noise of H cars are apparently loud.

Honda Accord and Civic suspension is stiff and feel rather uncomfortable.Whereas, the one in Jazz is okay but it feels rough on secondary roads. And very often Honda cars ‘pitch’ while driving fast on undulating highways.
The Toyota system is better and more comfortable. But, I pick Nissan for good all round suspension compliance driving due to its incorporating of a second arm known as ‘Nissan Ripple Control Shock Absorbers’ to iron out all road irregularities.

All in all, I experienced that Continental cars are always one step better in comfort as well as ride and handling,due to their good suspension set-up. Not to mention the mighty Merc, even many Peugeot cars ride and drive feel are all round better for both high and low speed driving.

Btw, Honda has lately changed their famous “double wishbones’ to ‘Multilinks’ set-up for reason best known to them. And now things could have become better.

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